Tristen Van Der Kley

My journey into health and fitness started in my earlier 20s when I joined a gym after moving to Melbourne from Canberra. I aspired to be healthy, fit and athletic; and I wanted to change my life by becoming a stronger version of myself, both physically and mentally.

The first few years were a bit of a rollercoaster trying to establish what worked best for me by trying out different ways of doing things. Growing up I was always naturally lean and struggled to put on muscle and shape; add to that too much cardio and not enough calories to fuel my training, and I found I wasn’t achieving the results I was after. Ultimately I was trying to establish a healthy balance between exercise, nutrition and lifestyle.

After watching fitness and bodybuilding competitions and being inspired by the body transformations of those who competed, I decided to make it a goal of my own. In August 2013, I found a personal trainer and coach to guide me, with a goal to compete in March 2014. My comp prep started out with adjustments to my training and diet. We added more nutrient dense food, heavier weight training and minimised cardio, all which helped me slowly gain a healthy weight, strength and muscle and improved my overall health for the short and long term.

What started out as a goal to compete and to develop and build the strong athletic physique I desired, turned into so much more. Competing lead me on a journey of self-discovery. With the gain in physical strength, came a gain in mental and emotional strength. Competing taught me to be in tune with my body and helped me improve on having a more positive relationship with my diet and exercise. It gave me confidence and taught me that with a little determination I am able to achieve my goals.

During 2014 I competed in four INBA comps and was proud of what I was able to achieve:

INBA Rookie of the Year – Fitness Novice – 2nd

INBA Southern Cross Champs – Fitness Novice – 1st

INBA Southern Cross Champs – Fitness Open – 4th

INBA VIC State Titles – Fitness Intermediate – 1st

INBA VIC State Titles – Fitness Open – 4th

INBA Aust Nationals – Fitness Intermediate – 5th

My goal now, as a Nutritional Medicine student and aspiring Nutritionist, is to inspire, educate and empower others through my own continuous learning. I believe there is no “one size fits all” but a life of great health and happiness starts with sound nutrition and balanced lifestyle choices which we can all make, and I have learnt first-hand how this can impact on wellbeing.

On completion of study and becoming a qualified Nutritionist, I plan to work with and assist clients achieve their own goals; whether that is with an athlete who wants to achieve optimal performance or body composition, someone needing specific nutritional needs for a health related issue or disease prevention, families wanting nutrition advice for themselves and their children, or an individual wanting to improve their long term health and life.